No reason to get fired up: Delaware flare is result of Columbia's gas-line inspection

Wednesday

Apr 19, 2017 at 12:40 PMApr 19, 2017 at 12:49 PM

Dan Gearino The Columbus Dispatch @DanGearino

That fireball you may have seen on your commute is not a sign of the apocalypse.

Actually, it's a good thing.

Columbia Gas of Ohio has set up a controlled flare of a gas line in the city of Delaware, part of a larger project to clean and inspect the line.

While the flare is the most visible part, most of the work is taking place underground with devices called pipeline inspection gauges, known in the gas industry by the acronym "pigs."

The gauges, which are 2-feet wide and up to 12-feet long, are pulled through the pipe by the suction that results from the gas rushing toward the flare.

"We control the speed of that pig by that flare," said Sam Schafer, director of system operations for Columbia.

The devices travel the 31-mile length of the pipe, which starts in New Albany and runs beneath Lewis Center and then north to Delaware.

People who drive or walk by the flare near Pittsburgh Road can feel the heat and hear a steady roar, even from hundreds of yards away. A Columbia crew is on site to monitor the burn. The flames spew from the top of a 65-foot pole that is connected to the gas line.

Columbia has tried to get the word out in Delaware that the fireball is not reason for concern, but there still have been calls to the fire department, said Kelli Nowinsky, a Columbia spokeswoman.

Schafer says the project involves three kinds of "pigs" that go through the line. The first one cleans the line by brushing against the interior surface and removing dirt, rocks or anything else that shouldn't be there. The second one has sensors that map the line and provide a basic report on the structural integrity. The third one is the most sophisticated and costs about $1 million. Its sensors perform an in-depth scan of structural issues.

This is the first time Columbia has done an analysis this detailed of a line in Ohio.

Relatively new federal safety standards are requiring the inspections, and newer pipelines have been built to accommodate the gauges.

The Delaware-area line is relatively new, built in the 2000s, with a design whose gradual turns allow for this type of inspection.

Companies have other methods of inspecting older lines, but they can't be as thorough as having the sensors go through every inch.

The Delaware project started about a week ago. It will continue, along with that fireball, for at least a week more.